Analysis of clinical and CT characteristics of patients with Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscesses: an insight into risk factors of metastatic infection

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the clinical and CT characteristics of patients with Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess (KPLA), with or without metastatic infection. Materials and Methods: Clinical information (age, sex, clinical symptoms, underlying disease, hematological parameters, abscess-related mortality) and CT characteristics of abscesses were analyzed to investigate associations with metastatic infection. Metastatic infections were divided into septic pulmonary embolism (SPE) and extra-pulmonary metastatic infection (EMI). Results: We identified 66 consecutive patients with KPLA. Metastatic infection occurred in 22/66 patients (33.3%); 8/66 (12.1%) patients had SPE, 6/66 (9.09%) patients had EMI; and 8/66 (12.1%) patients had both SPE and EMI. Patients with SPE were younger than patients without SPE (47.7 ± 13.7 y vs.55.6 ± 12.0 y; p = 0.03). Unilocular abscess was significantly more common in patients with SPE than the non-SPE group (43.75% vs 18.0%, p = 0.036). The mean maximal diameter of EMI was 56.5 ± 21.3 mm and was significantly smaller than that of the non-EMI which was 79.9 ± 31.4 (p = 0.011). SPE was significantly associated with development of EMI (50% vs17.3%, p = 0.011). Conclusion: Unilocular liver abscess is associated with SPE, and SPE is strongly associated with EMI among patients with KPLA. A maximal diameter of KPLA<55 mm can be used as a predictor of EMI.

Keywords

• Klebsiella pneumoniae
• Pyogenic liver abscess
• Metastatic infection
• septic pulmonary embolism
• Computed tomography